


Late to the Party

by TheDeadAreWalking



Series: Clony Stories [9]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 14:05:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10788213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDeadAreWalking/pseuds/TheDeadAreWalking
Summary: Clay and Tony don't really hang out with peopleDay 9 - Hanging Out With Friends





	Late to the Party

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the long wait!

"Jensen, Padilla, what is up!"

Clay and Tony turned to watch the Asian boy walk up to them, "Nothing, Zach," Tony said, "Why what's up with you?"

"I wanted to invite you to a little hang out I'm having tonight."

The couple exchanged looks, "Look, thanks but no thanks," Clay said trying to give his best apologetic face.

"Come on, look," Zach said pointing to Skye walking by in the hall, "You can invite your girlfriend along, too."

Skye stopped with a smirk, deciding she'd defiantly like to see how this unfolds, "Sure, Zach I'd love to go," Skye stared at both of the boys daring, hoping, one of them would say something. Neither did, Clay looking slightly embarrassed and Tony wearing a thinly veiled mask of hurt. Idiots.

"Sweet, I'll be seeing you three later," Zach said walking off and before Clay could stop him Tony sped off, too, mumbling something about needing to get to class.

"Fuck," Clay said turning to his friend, "Did I just fuck up or something?"

Skye laid a sympathetic hand on his arm, "Afraid so."

"Well, what the hell did I do? ?"

"Oh, I don't know," Skye said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "Maybe he's upset because, once again, you let someone think I'm dating you and he's your friend."

"He is my friend," Clay said crossing his arms.

"Just your friend," the girl sighed, "Think about how you'd feel if someone thought he was dating Ryan again and he said he was."

"He wouldn't," Clay mumbled.

"No, he wouldn't. Would you?"

Clay ignored her, "He knows it's because I'm not...not out yet."

"Well, maybe that's not how he sees it."

-

Clay rode his bike home that day, he hadn't done that in forever. Not since that day, the day Tony drove him home and he, for whatever reason, reached out for his hand. Since the day he decided he could keep moving forward. 

Clay ran the day through his head trying to see where it all went wrong and, fuck. Yeah, Skye is right. Tony's got to be made at him for what he did. But how could Tony be mad? He knew Clay wasn't out, what did he expect? 

God, did he think he was embarrassed by him or something?

Clay pedaled faster, relishing in the sharp wind hitting his face.

-

Clay shook his limbs out as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing the outfit Tony had picked out hoping that it would get him back on his good side. The tattooed boy hadn't been answering his texts night, the only reason he knew he was still going to the party was that Skye had talked to him after school at Monet's.

Clay was nervous Tony wouldn't talk to him tonight. 

What if he was done with Clay?

What if he was sick of waiting? 

Sick of being with someone who was too scared to come out let alone...let alone go all the way?

Tony had said it was okay to go slow but what if he didn't mean it. Maybe he had hoped by now Clay would be ready. 

Before Clay knew it he was crying. The tears ran silently down his face as he stared at his own reflection. He really wasn't worth Tony's time, was he?

-

Tony entered the house and was assaulted with the animalistic atmosphere that came with all high school parties. Drugs, beer, sweat, and sex. He really didn't want to be here but he shrugged it off and shifted through the crowd. These people? These people weren't his friends.

Tony spotted Skye hanging around a keg in the corner, red cup in hand, "Hey, Skye," he said approaching. She raised her cup at him and nodded in greeting, "Seen Clay?"

Skye gave him a look, "No, he messaged me something about not feeling well."

"What?" Tony snapped, "He didn't say anything to me."

"Maybe because you've been ignoring him all night. Have you even bothered to see if he messaged you?"

Tony barely even heard her, he was already pushing himself to the door and pulling his phone out. 1 missed calls and 4 texts.

Clay: Hey, sorry for what I said at school. Are we ok?

Clay: I didn't mean to be a dick you knwo that right?

Clay: Im sorry you dont have to see me anymore.

Clay: Im sorry

Tony jumped into his car sped to the Jensen's residence. 

-

The drive to Clay's had never taken longer in his whole life. The entire ride over Tony's thoughts ran wild. What if Clay hated him?

What if Clay hurt himself?

Tony put slightly more pressure on the gas pedal and tried re-dialing Clay for what felt like the hundredth time. When it went straight to voicemail again he tossed it onto the passenger seat and wiped his eyes. When did he start crying? Tony sprang from the car as soon as the key was out of the ignition and ran to the front door. Tony didn't even bother with knocking and instead barged straight in. 

He could barely hear the Jensen's startled voices through the sound of the blood drumming in his ears as he sprinted up the steps to Clay, "Tony! What in God's name? Clay said he's not feeling we-" 

Dear God, please let him be okay?

Tony flung open the boy's bedroom door and almost fell to his knees in relief when Clay gave him a startled look from his bed, "Tony, what the fuck?" Clay sat up in bed and gave him a confused look. Tony didn't even answer instead stumbling over and falling to the floor in front of Clay. Tony let his head fall into the boy's lap and immediately started sobbing, "Tony?"

"Fuck," Tony said between sobs and gasps for air, "you. I don't know what you were thinking but I thought. God, I thought you were leaving me like Hannah."

-

Clay didn't know what to say. Looking back he realized he may have been not handled the situation the best and should have just talked to Tony. There was nothing he could do know. The taller boy lowered a hand to Tony's hair and started gently running his fingers through the soft strands. Clay was lost in the moment of trying to soothe Tony he forgot the world around them existed. 

Clay looked up to find his mother standing in the doorway. She had a nearly unreadable look on her face. Clay quickly looked away and went to move his hand from Tony, to try and explain what was happening, give her some excuse when he paused. 

No. No more excuses, no more lies, no more hiding. Not at school, not at home, not with Tony. That ended right now. This was it, this was the final straw. Clay swallowed thickly and looked up to stare his mom straight in the eye. They use to be close, his mother and him. They use to be able to have a whole conversation with one glance. He's trying to do that right now, he thinks she understands. He hopes.

She gives him one last look and another at Tony, who has stopped crying and is now gasping for his breath, before sending him a sympathetic smile and turning to leave. 

He thinks she's okay. 

He thinks that's okay.

-

"I thought you were sick of dealing with me being so slow to the draw."

"I don't care how long it takes you, Clay."

"Well, you seemed to care earlier today in the hall when you stormed off and ignored me the rest of the day."

"I let it all get away from me for a moment. I'm sorry. You scared the shit out of me."

"I'm sorry, too."

The boys sat shoulder to shoulder in silence, "We're both pretty stupid."

Clay laughed, "We really are," they lapsed back into silence. Clay cleared his throat and looked to the boy next to him, "Tony?"

Tony hummed and turned to look at him, "Yeah?"

"I love you."

If a smile could actually blind someone Clay would never be able to see again, "I love you, too. More than you could ever imagine."

-

So if Clay and Tony arrive at the party fashionably late, hand-in-hand, that was no one's business but theirs.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I had prom this weekend and ive neglected so much school work lately. Also I keep rewriting the next story and I think Im gonna write it again. Like I hate the next prompt which is 'with animal ears' like what the fuck is that im trying to do some sorta story. whatever.
> 
> [Buy Me a Coffee](https://ko-fi.com/A50218CR) <\--- Help me not starve thanks


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